Tag Archives: garlic

Caesar salad; delicious classic that can run the risk of getting boring. Without bastardizing things too much we found some baby kale to add a little bitterness and texture, added bacon (surprise!), and used sourdough for the croutons. The result was a slightly heartier version that played well with our more traditional dressing (make your own and you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff). Um…romaine who?

10 oz baby kale (you can use two bunches of normal kale if you can’t find the other stuff) ($4.49/5 oz package)

6 slices sourdough bread (about $3.99/loaf)

6 slices thick cut bacon ($7.99/lb)

4 eggs ($12.99/lb

2 lemons ($0.50/each)

2-3 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)

4-5 anchovy fillets ($1.99/12 oz tin)

1/2 C Parmigianna Reggiano cheese ($12.99/lb)

1 TSP capers ($2/3 oz jar)

1/2 TSP ground mustard ($3.49/3 oz)

1/2 TSP cayenne pepper ($2/3.5 oz jar)

1/4 C & 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, separated ($8.99/32 oz)

Salt

Pepper

Dressing Preparation:

Separate your eggs and pour the yolks into your blender (or food processor). Peel and crush the garlic cloves and toss them in as well.

Separate your eggs over a different bowl so you don’t run the risk of getting egg whites in the dressing,

Squeeze in the juice of 1 1/2 lemons and grate in about 1/2 a cup of Parmigianna Regianno. Throw in the anchovies, mustard, cayenne pepper, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a teaspoon’s worth of capers. Blend the whole lot together.

Start with the juice of one lemon and add more to taste. We ended up using 1 1/2.

The anchovies will provide the umami backbone for the dressing.

Once the solids have broken down slowly pour in 1/4 C of extra virgin olive oil. Be careful not to thin it out too much, though; the dressing should still be able to coat a spoon without running off that easily.

Taste, taste, taste. Caesar dressing is all about the right balance and is more art than science. The flavors will need a little time to meld, though, so stop when it’s at the brink of where you want it then pop the dressing in the fridge for an hour. You can always go back and readjust more later.

Salad Preparation:

Sift through your kale and throw out any overly wilted or rotten leaves. Rinse, dry and set aside.

Place the frying pan over medium heat and add your strips of bacon. While your piggie pieces are crisping up take the sourdough bread and cut it into 1/2-1 inch cubes and set aside.

When the bacon is nicely crisped up remove it from the pan and drain it on paper towels. Leave the fat in the frying pan, though, as this is going to help flavor your croutons. Yes, bacon fat croutons.

Thow in the bread cubes and stir so they get evenly coated with the remaining fat. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over everything to provide the extra lubrication required and salt and pepper liberally. Leave the bread to sit for about 4 minutes per side and once it’s crisped stir it up to fry the other sides.

Don’t stir the bread too much but make sure it doesn’t burn.

In a large mixing bowl add the kale and pour the dressing over the top. Toss the leaves thoroughly to ensure even coverage.

Cut the bacon into thin strips crosswise. Sprinkle over the greenery and add croutons until you’re satiated. Stir it up if you want to further incorporate the dressing or eat it as is to keep the flavors distinct. Grate some extra cheese on top if your heart desires and get to it.

We’re not gonna lie, we totally ripped this idea off from a spread we saw while shopping in Fairway. Our version, however, isn’t $14 for 8 ounces, so there. This blend is great by itself on bread but can be used for pizzas, on pasta, as a sauce for poultry, you name it. For a sharper bite use the garlic raw instead of roasting it.

Peel as much of the loose outer papery skin odd the garlic bulbs as you can without actually peeling them. Cut the tops off of the cloves and tear off a piece of foil large enough to enclose both bulbs.

Place the foil in the baking sheet and set down your garlic bulbs, cut side up. Drizzle about two tablespoons of olive oil over the top and sprinkle some salt and pepper on each as well. Wrap them up and pop them in the oven for 35 minutes.

Lube your bulbs.

While your garlic is roasting drain the artichokes and quarter them. Put them in the blender or food processor, add a palmful of salt and pepper, and grate in a quarter cup of Parmigiano cheese. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime, pour in two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and blend everything together until it’s smooth.

The acidity of the lemon helps balance things out.

When your garlic has roasted let it cool for a couple of minutes and then squeeze the cloves out of their peels and into your artichoke puree. Blend until everything is incorporated and add more cheese, salt, pepper or lemon to taste. Spread on your vessel of choice and buon appetito!

Another one fresh from the fields, this CSA bumper crop works great on sandwiches, chopped up on a hot dog, as a side for BBQ. You know, whatever. Yes we need to learn how to pickle things properly so they last longer but for now stop complaining and just enjoy the fact that we’ve given you yet another brilliant idea that will make you look epicurean in front of your friends.

Cut the root end off your scallions and cut the green leaves off at the point where the stalk starts to turn that light green/white. Pull off the outer layer as it’s usually pretty grungy and wash those puppies thoroughly. Slice them in half lengthwise and set them aside.

Watch your fingers as you slice the scallions down the center.

Put your pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. While it’s coming to temperature peel and smash your garlic cloves. Also, cut out a quarter of a lemon and set it aside.

Crush the garlic cloves for maximum flavor diffusion in the pickled mix.

Once the vinegar mixture starts boiling add the scallions, garlic, lemon wedge and peppercorns. Stir everything around to make sure it gets coated in the pickling liquid and remove the pot from the heat. Cover the whole lot and let it sit until it comes to room temperature. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Use it to top sandwiches, as an accent for salads, or just an acidic side for fatty dishes.

Our CSA is starting to yield more root vegetables and with cold weather coming we’re in a food preservation mode. Quick pickling allows us to get a solid month out of fresh veggies and gives us an excuse to try new combinations for side dishes and potential condiments. The sweet, earthy flavor of the beets along with the vinegary kick make this recipe a great complement to poultry dishes and in any situation you’d normally reach for a gherkin.

Mix the sugar, vinegar, mustard and water in your pot and put over high heat, bringing it to a boil.

While the brew is bubbling, peel your beets and slice them carefully with your mandoline or chef’s knife. Take the beet discs and slice them further into little batons (about 1/8th of an inch wide or less). Peel and halve the garlic.

Once the vinegar mixture starts to boil add the garlic, scallions and beets. Stir everything together, remove the pot from the heat, cover and let it sit until it comes to room temperature. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Fall’s return can only mean one thing in the kitchens of the Brothers Brown—it’s soup season. With about a month to go, our CSA yields some deliciously sweet and nutty squash this time of year and what better way to celebrate it than with a nice, velvety bisque. Roasting the veggies allows them to caramelize a bit, further enhances the flavors.

Wash the acorn squash thoroughly to remove any remaining dirt. Cut off the stems and cut the squash in half. With a large spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp in the center. Continue to cut the squash into quarters and then into quarters again. Toss them in the baking pan.

Use a serving spoon for maximum scooping effectiveness.

Wash and peel your carrots. Halve them crosswise and add them to the pan.

Peel those roots.

Peel the garlic cloves and add them whole to the other veggies. Peel and quarter your onion and toss it in too. Drizzle olive oil over the whole lot and give it an even dusting of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Pop everything in the oven for 40 minutes or until the squash is fork-tender.

Dust your veggies evenly but be careful not to overdo it. You can always adjust the flavors later.

Remove the veggies from the oven; scoop the squash out of its skin and into the pot. Toss in the other veggies, pour in the vegetable stock and milk. Stir everything up and bring it to a boil.

The fattier the moo juice you use, the richer the bisque.

Reduce the mix to a simmer and add all of your spices, herbs, syrup, vinegar and butter. Use your potato masher to break down the veggies a bit. Take your blending implement and puree it all until it’s smooth.

Blend until smooth.

Put the soup back over low heat and re-taste it. Adjust the seasonings to your liking and serve with some nice, crusty bread.

The Brothers Brown: Bringing you innovative ways to get your buffalo-wing fix since 2009.

Fact: we love buffalo wings. Fact: meatballs are also delicious. Enter the buffalo chicken meatball, a self-contained flavor bomb of Frank’s Red Hot and blue cheese. We threw together a carrot yogurt dipping sauce just to up the interesting quotient but rest assured these are great on their own and take just as long to make as you’d spend waiting for delivery. Get to it.

In the large mixing bowl add your ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg and hot sauce. Grate in about half of a small onion then mince your garlic and toss it in the mix.

Add an egg to help bind things together.

Frank's Red Hot. 'Nuff said.

Crumble in your blue cheese, roll up your sleeves and get in there with your hands to mix everything together. Chicken is a lot stickier than other ground meats so it’s imperative that you don’t overwork it or you’ll never be able to get it off your fingers.

Coat the bottom of your baking pan with extra virgin olive oil. You won’t be able to roll these like turkey or beef meatballs so just grab a glob about the size of a golf ball and form it by cupping your hands together. Place the meatballs in the pan evenly spaced with some room to breathe. Pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the juice from the meatballs runs clear. Let them cool for a couple minutes then go to town.

Carrot Yogurt Dip Preparation:

Scoop the yogurt into your blender and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.

Add the honey and a couple solid pinches of salt and pepper. Using the finest setting on your grating implement of choice, shred the carrots into the blender and puree the whole lot until smooth.

Prime rib. Rib roast. Ribeye. A steak by any other name would taste just as good. How you prepare that steak may vary, however, and we’re pretty sure we’ve found our new go-to method for cooking roasts. By coating this beefy cut in a salt crust you create a self-marinating, sealing-the-juices-inside, hard to screw up, delicious hunk of bovine that will have you fighting for seconds.

You’re gonna have to actually talk to a butcher for this one. Don’t be scared, just be honest about what you’re looking for and how you’re going to prepare it and any butcher worth his or her meat will steer you in the right direction (pun somewhat intended). Figure about 1/2 a pound to 1 pound per person depending on how hungry your crowd is. Ask for a standing rib roast with the bone, but ask them to separate the meat from the bone and truss it back on for you. This way you get the extra flavor the ribs will provide without the added pain of having to carve the meat off when you’re finished.

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

Mince your garlic and rosemary as finely as you can. On your cutting board, mix the two together and sprinkle some salt over it. With the edge of the blade of your knife, press down and scrape the mix against the board bit by bit to start to create a flavorful paste.

Meld those flavors together.

In a large mixing bowl add the salt, flour, the white of your egg and water and stir everything together until it has the consistency of wet sand.

Mix the crust ingredients thoroughly for a nice, even seasoning.

Ready your roasting pan by lining it with aluminum foil. Set your meat in there and try to coat it as evenly as possible with your garlic and rosemary paste. Crack on some fresh black pepper but DO NOT add salt (you’re roasting it in a salt crust, remember?).

Now comes the really messy part. Scoop out the salt slurry a handful at a time and pack it firmly on the roast, taking care to cover the entire thing with the paste. Be thorough, adjust your paste according to how it’s sticking. Sliding off? Add more salt and flour in equal parts. Too cakey? Add a little water.

Cover that meat in its delicious self-marinating shell.

Once your meat is fully caked, pop it in the oven. For a delicious medium rare, roast it for 1 hour and 20 minutes; cook for about 10 minutes less for any hardcore, rare-loving carnivores and about 5-10 minutes more for straight up medium.

When the meat is done let it rest for 15 minutes before you do anything else in order to let the juices redistribute and to enable a little carryover cooking. This is no time to cut corners with a juicy, delicious piece of beef like this, so resist the urge to crack the salt crust and set a timer if you have to prevent temptation.

Reward your patience by using a large spoon or the back of a chef’s knife to crack the thing open. Brush off any large chunks of salt and remove the beef from the bone. Slice the roast on the bias and get in there.